


Just a little reckless (We will not surrender)

by Mullk6



Series: The world unknown to us (except one, stop lording your knowledge over us, it got old after the first year) [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: 'cause now they get to murder Teach early, Ed and Al are good actors, Ed was impatient, Gen, Marshall D. Teach dies, Mentions of Rape, Second Timeline everyone, Worth It, and schemers, so much scheming, so they went into the grandline two and a half years earlier, their back-up plans have back-up plans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-02-08 12:34:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12864624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mullk6/pseuds/Mullk6
Summary: Ed couldn't take her sister's sulking and decided they were heading for the New Worldnowand not waiting for Luffy to fuck up Logue Town. Screw Smoker, Ed was not looking at those teary eyes a moment longer than she had to.Timeline #2





	1. Screw the rules, I have issues

About half-a-year after Ace's departure, Ed came to a conclusion. They couldn't stay in East Blue. Her sister's mood had plummeted at the established timeline she now had on her hands. She'd called a meeting behind her sister's back to discuss their options.

“If we make it all the way there, then our luck should in theory hold true.” the Captain said

Leo nodded “Yeah, if our 'Protagonist's luck' is permanent, then the 'plot', so to speak, should shift accordingly. We just need to sail around in Whitebeard's territory and not cause trouble.”

Edwina smirked “And should we endear ourselves to the old man, we can take out Teach and save Thatch in one fell swoop... having already made Ace fond of us, it shouldn't be much of a problem.”

With the meeting done with, they set sail towards Logue Town while Jonas started working on something he felt they would need if they were to acquire sufficient equipment to brave the Grand Line's waters. Al, when they had told her of the plan, had burst into tears and hugged Ed like her life depended on it. It had only cemented their belief that this was a great idea.

Only downside was that after they had gassed the Marine Base and robbed them blind, they were forced to dodge Smoker for another half-year before the White Chaser was forced back to his post by his higher ups. It took them a week after the last sighting of the man to relax even slightly, but a month later they were in high spirits as they dove towards Fishman island.

After they resurfaced on the other side of the Red Line, Al went to speak to Jonas about making some modifications to the ship. Namely, coating it with Kairoseki and creating some sort of engine they could use to sail across the Calm Belt, since she had no idea where they could coat the ship if they even planned to go back the way they came. Sure, she would probably find out soon enough, but it was good to have options. There had to be someone on this side of the Red Line that coated ships, otherwise Whitebeard wouldn't have been able to sneak into Marineford so spectacularly.

During their time sailing they had been keeping an eye on Ace's progress and had proudly hung his wanted poster in the dining room, right next to Ed's wanted poster. They had all grinned widely when finally, a year and a half after they had last seen the teen, they had confirmation. “Fire Fist” Ace was confirmed to be the 2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. And right on time too, since they had just entered the Yonko's territory.

Now all they had to do was figure out where to go next. The answer came, surprisingly, from the crew in question itself.

“Foodvalten?”

Al asked, muffling her voice with a scarf as she spoke into the Den Den Mushi designated solely for her Information Broker calls. The caller at least claimed to be a Whitebeard pirate, though Al couldn't place the voice since it was somehow distorted. The caller was looking for information on a devil fruit, and while Al would deny the request normally, she had a slight suspicion as to who it was.

Ed sat in a corner, lips pursed and when her sister looked to her, she nodded. If it was who they thought it was, then they could put one of their plans into action. If the Moby Dick was going to dock at Foodvalten, even better.

“Alright. In a month, you said? Look for a brunette girl with her hair braided, wearing a white dress with a snake entwined with a cross on the hem. The confirmation phrase is as follows: 'Nothing is true.' she should then reply with: 'Everything is permitted.' Business will be conducted after the confirmation phrase has been uttered.”

Now, Al didn't usually meet anyone when exchanging information, instead she used a secure Den Den Mushi. But if this was who they thought it was, then she really couldn't pass this opportunity up. Once the other party hung up, she dropped the scarf and sighed, leaning back against the chair.

“You ok?” her sister asked, tilting her head.

The younger nodded “Yeah, just, really nervous. If it's him then...”

“We discussed this... if you don't wanna do it then I can take your place.”

“No... if we want this to work then it has to be me... besides, we can save Thatch if we do this.”

“Yeah, I really want to meet this guy, see just who we are doing this for.”

“He's real nice. He might have had ridiculously little 'screen-time' so to say, but what was shown spoke for itself. And... well, it's not like he's the only one who'll be saved by our actions.”

They sat there silently for a moment before Al spoke again “With this...”

“Ace lives.” Ed finished, a fire in her eyes.

It's dangerous to put an outsider inside a world they have no business being in. Multiply by seven and there are sure to be consequences. They all knew that, but they couldn't bring themselves to care. They knew enough about the world to care about a few people, but not enough to care about the rest. When there is only one opinion on the plot and characters, there aren't many options to choose from when it comes to interacting with the world. This is why it was decided quite early that Marshall D. Teach, Blackbeard, had to die. As permanently as possible. Though they wanted him to suffer, they also wanted to make sure he'd be _fucking dead, dammit._

Which was why they plotted. And oh, how this sort of behaviour would have sickened them previously, now no one in the crew batted an eye. Being stuck in a world such as this for about half-a-decade did strange things to one's psyche. It's one thing to be able to plot something for a story, it was another to actively plot murder.

Honestly, Ed didn't know if they'd just sank really low or had become desperate. Perhaps they had just become ingrained. It was a possibility. Kind of like moving to another country, after a while you started to adopt mannerisms from the people and become part of the culture. It was a shame they had adopted the ruthlessness evident in this place. But, without that, they would not survive. Besides, it wasn't like they had lost themselves. They did cling to things that connected them to their own world, even if some would consider it unhealthy. The way they obsessed over their songs and stories may seem fanatical to some but it was all they had. No way were they ever letting those fade away.

This was how they ended up at Foodvalten and after convincing the people there that they were not there to cause trouble, only to hopefully meet up with an old friend who'd apparently joined Whitebeard after they'd last seen each other, they set up camp. They'd moved their ship to a cove so that it was not visible to people coming to the island, after asking permission. They were only allowed that due to the fact that they wouldn't be able to make a quick getaway from the cove, which was smart of them, really.

They received word of the Moby Dick approaching by the end of the second week and immediately set up their borrowed space near the town center for a bonfire. Al had come up with the idea and Ed had done the fine-tuning of the plan for surprising Ace. It was going to be great and no one in the crew could suppress the grins and happy energy. This in turn made the citizens relax further, since they didn't look like they were exited to cause trouble. Jim, the most agile of the bunch, what with his passion for free-running, was the lookout. He would be on Ace-spotting duty and would run back to alert them. They _could_ of course, try to spot him with Haki, but since they were singing and playing instruments, it wasn't really feasible. Haki would come in play once they'd confirmed Ace's presence on the Island. And that was only maybe.

The night proceeded to become a much bigger thing than just the Ouroboros Pirates, with the people of Foodvalten joining in with their own songs, even if the Pirates Crew dominated it. They had just started a song when Jim came back.

“[Well, if you wanted honesty,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgmY2sB71Hc)  
that's all you had to say,  
I never want to let you down or have you go  
it's better off this way!

For all the dirty looks,  
the photographs your boyfriend took,  
remember when you broke your foot  
from jumping out the second floor?”

Ed stopped strumming her guitar at the young swordsman's presence and the rest of the crew followed, honing in on one person they could sense getting closer and closer, followed closely by someone who burned brightly whom Ed had to assume was either Thatch or Marco. With a smirk, the captain handed her guitar to her sister and exchanged glances with the others. Soon enough, Al started to play a very familiar melody to them all. One they had agreed upon beforehand in order to make maximum impact on the little idiot.

They hadn't really been planning on making landfall immediately when they reached Foodvalten, but the apparent celebration they could see had made them curious. Ace had been one of the people that went to check it out, Marco following him as if he was going to cause trouble if left alone. Honestly, the bonfire the Logia could see made him slightly nostalgic as they neared and heard laughter and music. When said music quieted, they assumed it was because they had been spotted. They were half-right.

The first few notes weren't anything unusual, songs sounded similar all the time, but as the melody went on, Ace slowed to a stop, his brows furrowing while still holding his hands behind his neck, cocking his head as he listened.

Marco, of course, noticed this immediately “Ace?” the Zoan inquired, concerned.

Before Ace could answer, the actual [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG0a9WFkgzU) started.

“A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shine  
Can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design”

Ace froze completely, his eyes widening as he ignored Marco completely and gazed towards the fire, his hands unclasping and slowly descending to his sides.

“And the stone that sits on the very top of the mountain's mighty face  
Does it think it's more important than the stones that form the base?”

As his eyes adjusted to the contrast in lighting, the raven-haired man spotted a familiar figure twisting in front of the fire, gesturing with her, because he definitely recognized the woman, hands and arms as she sang

“So how can you see what your life is worth  
Or where your value lies?  
You can never see through the eyes of man  
You must look at your life, look at your life through heaven's eyes”

Marco was still trying to get his attention, but Ace only had eyes for the people clustered on one side of the fire, smiling as they either played, clapped, sang or laughed while their captain sang the same song he'd heard over a year ago in East Blue.

“Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai  
Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai  
Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai

Lai lai lai lai lai lai”

Somehow, the teen made his feet move towards the crew that had saved him from drowning at the beginning of his journey and whose captain had given him much to think about.

“A lake of gold in the desert sand is less than a cool fresh spring  
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king  
If a man lose ev'rything he owns, has he truly lost his worth?  
Or is it the beginning of a new and brighter birth?”

The brunette's hair was free and fanned out as its owner spun around, seemingly oblivious to the Whitebeard Pirates that were starting to show up and Ace who was not too far from the crew now. Then, suddenly, light brown eyes snapped opened and looked Ace straight in the eyes, their owner coming to a stop with a stomp, a grin on her face.

“So how do you measure the worth of a man? In wealth or strength or size?  
In how much he gained or how much he gave?  
The answer will come, the answer will come to him who tries  
To look at his life through heaven's eyes”

There was a devious gleam in her eyes as she sang with gusto, four of her crew standing up and starting to form a ring to encircle the fire, dancing around it in a human chain. Ace had a slight inclination as to what she was planning and couldn't really say he minded

“And that's why we share all we have with you, though there's little to be found  
When all you've got is nothing, there's a lot to go around  
No life can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance  
And though you never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance  
You must learn to join the dance”

And on that long note, Ed grabbed Ace's hand and bodily dragged him to do exactly that. And with a trip and a stumble, Ace was once again integrated into the circle of people around the fire. He laughed when he spotted Marco being flung his way too and forced into dancing.

“Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai  
Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai  
Lai la lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai la lai lai lai lii lai lai  
lai lai lai lai lai lai

So how do you judge what a man is worth?  
By what he builds or buys?  
You can never see with your eyes on earth  
Look through heaven's eyes  
Look at your life, look at your life  
Look at your life through heaven's eyes”

When the song ended, the Ouroboros disentangled themselves from the circle, clapping and hollering as they converged on a single figure, Ace. 

Edwina was doing nothing to help him and was simply grinning widely, hands on her hips as she rocked on her heels “Welcome not-aboard _The Truth_ , kid. Taken any nasty dives that Doc Leo should know about?”

Ace groaned “That was one time and we haven't seen since!”

The Captain shrugged “Our first impression of you is Al hollering for someone to fish you out of the sea. You can be damn certain that we're never gonna let you live it down. Just be glad no one wanted to change your-”

“Ok!” Ace yelled, cutting her off before she could go any further. He didn't need Thatch knowing about anything else embarrassing. Luckily, it seemed like the man was too far away to actually hear anything. 

The same could not be said of Marco, who was eying the interaction with a strange look “You know these people, Ace-yoi?”

“Know us?” Leo asked, the red-haired man sounded offended as he spoke “He wouldn't know you if it wasn't for us!”

Ace decided to cut in before anyone got it into their heads to start a fight “I bumped into them at the start of my pirate-career back in East Blue. I didn't have a bounty or a crew back then, so there was no one to keep an eye on me when my narcolepsy decided to act up.” the cowboy-hatted teen winced “I would have drowned if I hadn't been seen by 'Lexia.” he then shrugged “I wasn't allowed to leave until Doc Leo was certain I hadn't caught pneumonia or something.”

Al decided to pipe up at that point “We also forced him to wear a life jacket and tether himself to the boat so that he wouldn't drown or float away next time he fell overboard due to falling asleep.” she then threw a sideways glance towards the logia “Of course, this bright idea forced us to change the Ouroboros list of rules.”

This caught the teen's attention “Really? About what?”

Al tossed her hair over her shoulder as Lisa answered “We're allowed to eat Devil Fruits now.”

Marco eyed them like they were crazy “You mean you had a rule that forbid you from consuming a Devil Fruit?”

All Ouroboros Pirates besides the Captain exchanged a glance before clearing their throats and reciting from memory in perfect unison: “Under no circumstance is a member of the crew to make a decision or choice which would impact anyone else on the crew negatively, be it another crew member or themselves.”

Marco turned to look at the Captain, who shrugged one shoulder “Being a drowning hazard by nature because you've consumed some hocus pocus fruit would affect _everyone_ on the crew negatively. Well, we did add a rule so that anyone who eats a Devil Fruit has to always wear a life jacket.”

Ace stopped to think about it and asked “ _Always_? Like on land too or...?”

The woman grinned “The humiliation is enough of a deterrent at the moment.”

So, that was a yes. Ace wasn't sure if that was brilliant or sadistic.

Marco seemed to agree, since his next words were “You have interesting friends, yoi.”

Al, meanwhile had finished braiding her hair and nodded towards a more isolated area. Ed seemed to know what she wanted and nodded “Right, same arrangement as always when dealing with unkowns?”

Al just nodded as she rose up and brushed the hem of her white dress and started to make her way towards the spot she'd indicated as Ed headed towards one of the houses.

Ace frowned “What's going on?”

Ed blinked, before sighing and jerking her head towards the house “Not here, if you really wanna know then follow me.”

Ace, of course, followed, with Marco not far behind. They climbed after the pirate Captain onto the roof of one of the houses not too far from where Al had went, but out of sight. However, they were perfectly within yelling-distance. Ed laid on the roof, her arms pillowing her head as she indicated the empty space around her, beckoning them to sit. When they did, she produced a small white card and waved it at them.

It was a businesscard with the symbol of a well-known information-broker, “The Informant”. A rather simple name considering their reputation. The symbol was a one and the infinity-symbol, intersected by a single line. This, Ace had come to realize, was a play on the most well known phrase used by said informant.

“I assume you recognize this? Well, what nobody knows is that The Informant is part of a Pirate Crew. Mine. Specifically, my First Mate.”

Ace coughed, understanding the implications where Marco didn't and couldn't, not with the nonexistent information he had “Your _little sister_? Isn't that dangerous?!” he whisper-yelled.

The Captain of the Ouroboros looked at him with a deadpan expression “Of course it is, why do you think I am camping here withing yelling-distance? Just in case her client isn't as respectable as they say they are. The only thing we're certain about is that it's a Whitebeard Pirate and no offense, but we don't trust the reputation of a crew when it comes to individuals. There are all kinds of people out there and no matter how nice your family mentality sounds, there will always be an exception.” however, she did shrug her shoulders as she continued “Oh, well, I'm not that worried, they're part of the crew you chose to be apart of, I'm sure they're not that bad.”

Ace didn't seem too bothered by the insinuation and Marco was only slightly insulted. However, he was a man of logic and tended not to let his emotions cloud his judgment and could thus see her point. And she had amended her statement enough to appease them.

Of course, that was when a piercing scream cut through the night and the surprise and panic on Edwina's face could not have been faked. She sprung up and hopped towards the scream when the two men with her registered what the word being screamed actually was.

“ _RAPE!_ ”

Alexia took deep breaths as she waited for whom she assumed was Marshall D. Teach to appear. Who else on Whitebeard's ship would want information on a Devil Fruit? She had to play this perfectly if she wanted the results she wanted. Patting her bag with a tone-dial in it, ready to be used, along with the dagger tucked into the white ribbon tied behind her back. Everything had been planned for this moment, they couldn't afford any mistakes.

“Nothing is true.”

Al straightened and turned to face the one she'd been waiting for and sure enough, there stood Blackbeard in all his smug glory.

“Everything is permitted.” the information broker and First Mate of the Ouroboros answered as she activated the tone-dial, commencing the plan that took months to perfect “Shall we get to the point?”

The despicable man walked forward “Ah, yes, I'd like information on a certain Devil Fruit.”

Al sighed and acted nonchalant “So you said on the Den Den. So? Which Devil Fruit? I cannot guarantee I have the information you are looking for...” she trailed off, as if she didn't know his name.

Teach smiled nastily “Call me Blackbeard.”

Al's eyebrow twitched as she tried not to grin smugly, the man was making it all too easy “... o... k... whatever, the Fruit?”

“Yes, the Yami Yami no Mi.”

Al was silent, gaping at the man, looking appalled and sputtering for effect “What? What? Do you know what that thing _does_?!” she hissed, her disgust not at all faked “That thing makes you into a black hole, the only thing it's good for is _destruction_. Whitebeard Pirate or not I am _not_ helping _anyone_ find that- that _thing_.” she spat, crossing her arms and fingering the ring on her right middle finger.

The next part was crucial, she had to time this perfectly, or else everything would fail. She could not predict the man's actions, but she could control them with something they had found on one of the more tropical islands.

_They'd made landfall on the island only a few hours before Ed found it. Al had followed her sister and had stared at the tree._

_“Is that?”_

_“Yes it is.”_

_They stared at the plant as they both came up with a devious idea which was so against their previous morals, but completely acceptable now._

_“Devil's Breath.” Ed smirked._

_Al only nodded, knowing exactly what she was thinking “I don't think many people know about it since I've yet to hear even a rumor of it being used.”_

_Her sister shrugged “I guess things like this get ignored when there are things like Devil Fruits out there.”_

_Needless to say, they had harvested as much as they could and now had a few sealed urns full of the white powder._

Devil's Breath. An intimidating drug indeed. The white powder, once inhaled, put the victim in a trance and made them follow orders of whomever was exploiting the drug's effects. She would never use it on normal people. But Teach... well, Teach had to die.

“I want that fruit, missy, and you will tell me where I can find it.”

Al narrowed her eyes “Why do you even want it, there are many other Devil Fruits that would help you protect your brothers.”

This, of course, was just a leading phrase so that the man would admit his true feelings, which he should blurt out right about...

“Zehahahaha! They're not my brothers! I only joined the old kook so that I would find the Yami Yami no Mi!”

Al took a step back, still within the man's range “What's to stop me from going to Whitebeard with this information?” she asked testily, readying herself for the second phase of the plan.

“Zehahahahaha! Who do you think the man would believe, his 'son',” the man asked, air-quotes practically audible as he grinned “or some random little girl?”

She drew herself up “I always record my dealings on tone-dials, I can very easily just hand it over, _then_ we'll see whom he believes.”

Teach's demeanor darkened as he stepped towards her threateningly “Give me that tone-dial, missy.”

She scoffed, twisting the cap off her hollowed out ring “What are you going to do?” she asked, blowing the white powder into the man's face and watching him inhale it “ _ **Attack me within hearing-range of all these people?**_ ”

The timing was perfect and the false Whitebeard lunged, his eyes glazed. The brunette stumbled back and let out appropriate noises and cut-off words that were appropriate for the next thing she'd yell. 

As she pulled out her dagger and sliced at the man, she screamed with her full lung-capacity only one word.

“ _RAPE!_ ”

With this done, she angled her blade so that the drugged pirate would run straight into it, splattering her with the red liquid from his veins. When the man stilled, she let go of the knife and just stood there, pressed against the wall. She was certain she looked the part of the victim. A previously pristine white dress, now torn and slightly dirty, her hair only partly in its previous braid, bruises forming around her wrists and a bump forming at the back of her head. There were scratches from her fingernails on Teach, in a pattern identical to her defending herself. Never before had she been so glad to be a fan of detective series. She slid down the wall she was leaning against, still holding her dagger in both hands, the tip of the bloodstained blade touching the ground. Now, all she had to do was-

“Al!”

-wait for her sister to arrive. They had discussed this many times and had agreed that they should consider the following period of interaction with the Whitebeards as LARP:ing. It took a certain amount of skill, but they were sure they could pull it off. They only needed to implement the same idea as the one behind lying convincingly. A hint of truth makes it all much more believable.

Ed landed in a crouch, calling her sister's name. All three pirates took in the scene before them and while Edwina went straight to her disheveled sister, the two Whitebeard Pirates looked at the corpse in shock.

“Teach?!” Ace exclaimed, not understanding what he was seeing, but soon enough coming to a rather disgusting conclusion “...no.” he whispered in denial, not wanting to think he'd been so mistaken about a member of his division.

Marco said nothing as he took in the scene, coming to many conclusions that made it very clear what had happened, but he needed more information... and Pops had to be told, he had the final say on what would be done. 

Looking to the young female captain, he frowned at the woman's sister's condition “Is she alright?”

The elder woman snapped her head around and snarled “Of course she's not!” before reigning herself in and sighing “It's her first kill, give her a break. We've managed without much bloodshed overall or at the very least with _indirect_ killing. She hasn't killed anyone with her bare hands before.”

Well, that explained some of it, at least, but Marco wasn't sure why she was a pirate if she hadn't even considered having to kill. Or, perhaps she had, but was simply not one of those people who could get over killing quickly.

Hearing footsteps, Marco looked to the opening of the alley to see some of the other division commanders “We need a stretcher and a sheet, and someone go tell Oyaji we need to talk to him.”

Being 1st Division Commander gave him the authority of Vice-Captain, so no one questioned him. The young captain did eye him suspiciously but followed silently, carrying her sister without protest, Ace taking up the rear. Marco just wanted to get this sorted.

Neither Whitebeard saw Al turning the tone-dial off. It wouldn't be needed again until later.


	2. Traitorous carcass and the singing siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mess with Teach is cleared up and the Whitebeards learn that you do not simply doubt the power of a pair of sisters that grew up on Barbie Musicals.  
> (Seriously, Barbie was my Disney, I can actually sing this ish from memory)

Edward Newgate looked mournfully at the covered body and the two strangers on the deck of the Moby. The younger one was obviously shaken and the elder was visibly defensive of her younger sibling. Were the situation any different, he would be offering for them to join. But now was not the time for that.

“What happened?” the Yonko asked, not willing to jump to conclusions. He was much too old for that.

The young captain spoke before anyone else “One you your so called sons decided to attack my sister!”

Ace groaned and Marco glanced at her from the corner of his eye while the rest of his sons blistered at the accusation.

The girl was having none of that, however and instead glared at his eldest “You heard her _scream_ , _Phoenix_ , we all did.”

That made most of his children take a step back and wonder. But Whitebeard wanted the entire story. And the only one who could give him that, was the younger sibling.

The elder obviously noticed that and pursed her lips before gently speaking to her sibling “Hey, Al, you feeling any better? Can you stand?”

She only received a shaky nod in answer and gently set the other girl down, but didn't let go of her shoulders.

The younger sister started speaking in a soft voice, seemingly trying very hard to be heard even in her shaken state “I received a call about a week ago on the Mushi I use for my 'Informant' persona. He claimed to be a Whitebeard Pirate and he wanted information on a Devil Fruit. Normally, I don't deal with Devil Fruits, but since it gave us an opportunity to see Ace again, and it _was_ a Whitebeard after all, I accepted.” she paused before chuckling bitterly “I wore white because I thought it would be fitting, now it's just ironic.”

The Strongest Man in the World frowned, eying the white fabric and the blood that stood in stark contrast on it. Then the girl suddenly dug through her purse and pulled out a tone-dial.

“I've made it a habit to record my dealings, just in case. I think this will be more convincing than anything I can say about what happened. If I may?”

At Whitebeard's nod, the girl pressed the switch. After a second, the device crackled to life, playing back the dialog between his son and the young woman in front of him.

_“Shall we get to the point?”_

_“Ah, yes, I'd like information on a certain Devil Fruit.”_

Newgate frowned, he hadn't even been aware of the fact that Teach wanted a Devil Fruit. He'd never indicated an interest in one.

_“So you said on the Den Den. So? Which Devil Fruit? I cannot guarantee I have the information you are looking for...”_

_“Call me Blackbeard.”_

Many of the ones listening frowned in confusion. Why was Teach calling himself that?

_“... o... k... whatever, the Fruit?”_

A few people snorted at the tone the brunette had adopted, she'd obviously not been impressed by the pseudonym.

_“Yes, the Yami Yami no Mi.”_

There was a heavy pause and the brunette shivered while her sister looked appalled. Those who could see the reactions frowned, wondering what about the fruit was so bad.

_“What? What? Do you know what that thing **does**?! That thing makes you into a black hole, the only thing it's good for is **destruction**. Whitebeard Pirate or not I am **not** helping anyone find that- that **thing**.”_

Whitebeard's eyebrow climbed higher and higher at the vehement protest.

_“I want that fruit, missy, and you will tell me where I can find it.”_

A lot of people frowned at Teach's tone and attitude. This was not the brother they knew.

_“Why do you even want it, there are many other Devil Fruits that would help you protect your brothers.”_

_“Zehahahaha! They're not my brothers! I only joined the old kook so that I would find the Yami Yami no Mi!”_

This admission caused an explosion of sound while Whitebeard closed his eyes, not wanting to believe it, but not being able to deny it. Tone-dials were tamper-proof, there was no way to change the recorded audio. If you messed up the recording, you couldn't re-do it, you had to get another tone-dial. This... was the truth, no matter how much they wished to deny it..

_“What's to stop me from going to Whitebeard with this information?”_

_“Zehahahahaha! Who do you think the man would believe, his 'son', or some random little girl?”_

_“I always record my dealings on tone-dials, I can very easily just hand it over, then we'll see whom he believes.”_

_“Give me that tone-dial, missy.”_

_“What are you going to do? Attack me within hearing-range of all these people?”_

The following audio was the sound of scuffling before the girl's scream of: “ **RAPE!** ” rung out. When her sister's voice calling her name started, she turned the tone-dial off. Said sister bundled her into her arms, glaring at anyone who so much as looked at the younger wrong. The protective instincts were understandable.

Ace decided to speak up at this point “So... was he _actually_ trying to rape you, or was that just the 'yell rape so that people will come help' strategy?”

The question caused the young one to snort “Pfft, how do _you_ know about that one?” before sobering “I _have_ used that trick before, it usually causes the guy to run away... this time...” she looked away “he- he wouldn't _let go_.”

An awkward silence descended as they took in the way she was standing, shielding her chest as if to protect herself from a phantom touch.

Whitebeard sighed “It seems we never knew him. I am sorry for what you had to go through.”

Neither of the girls had time to respond before there was someone calling for them “Oooooi!  
Captain! Lex! Why are you on the Whitebeard ship!?”

Said captain let go of her sister, walked tot he edge and yelled down “The Whitebeards had a traitor and we accidentally took care of it!”

“Accidentally-accidentally or accidentally-on-purpose!?”

“More of an accident than on purpose this time!”

Newgate watched with minor amusement as the yelling continued, with Ace leaning backwards and peering down with an interested expression “Gurararara, tell you crew to come aboard, I'm sure my children want to get to know any old friends of Ace.”

The small captain peered up at him before calling for them to do just that and for their doctor to 'better have his first-aid kit with him, or else'. It was quite amusing when the man raged at his captain that ' of course he did, what did she take him for?'.

It was less amusing to see the doctor wince at the condition their fellow crewmate was in. Newgate was surprised to learn that the little one, the youngest of the bunch, in fact, was actually the first mate. Then again, with her reputation as “The Informant” it wasn't unfathomable. Soon the girl had bandages around both wrists, covering the ointment put on the large bruises caused by Teach's attack on her person, another on her upper left arm received the same treatment, the scratches on her legs and face were also cleaned and covered with band-aids and the bump on the back of her head resulted in a white bandage encircling her head after her sister brushed her hair. It made the damage easier and harder to look at at the same time. Teach's body had already been disposed of at that point.

The man didn't deserve a funeral.

Ace brought up something that the others had been thinking about but hadn't mentioned “How have you avoided getting bounties even though you made it all the way to the New World? The last time I heard anything from you guys was after you raided Logue Town a year ago.”

They had been wondering about that, there weren't many crews that actively avoided bounties, after all, and most of them stayed in their home sea.

The Ouroboros Captain laughed freely “Oh, that. Well, the figurehead on our ship comes off and we put a steel plate with a different name over our ship's name when we need to lay low. Also, we often disguise ourselves as a traveling Theater group.”

Thatch blinked “And... that... works? How? You'd have to rehearse constantly if you suddenly had to claim you're a theater group.”

The two siblings actually looked affronted at that, which was a small relief since the younger of the two had been looking apathetic. Before the two could say anything, the swordsman started waving his hands “Don't get them started! We don't need them spontaneously reciting the entire Princess and the Pauper Musical from memory!”

This caught Marco's among a few others' attention “They can do that?” the Phoenix Zoan asked, sounding impressed.

Ace grinned “I gotta see this.”

The rest of the unfamiliar crew looked horrified and yelled “Noooooo!” even as the Captain-First Mate duo stood up and 'took the scene', so to speak.

Alexia cleared her throat and started speaking in a narrator voice “Long ago and far away, in a village high on a mountaintop, something amazing was occurring. At the very same moment, two identical baby girls were born!”

Her sister, Edwina, grinned as she continued in that very same tone, ignoring her crew's plight “One, a baby princess. The king and queen were overjoyed. Princess Annelise would have only the finest. The second baby girl was named Erika. Her parents loved her every bit as much as the king and queen loved the princess, but they worried. They were so poor. How would they be able to care for their little daughter?”

Al once again picked up the narration as the rest of the Ouroboros cried pitifully, while the Whitebeards followed in interest. They had never actually seen a two-man theater and a few were impressed by the fact that the girls were reciting their lines completely from memory. “Many years passed. The princess learned her royal duties, while Erika worked long and hard as a seamstress for the spiteful Madame Carp. With lives so different, it wasn't surprising that the princess and the pauper never met.”

The sisters paused here before grinning and exchanging a glance as they stepped closer to each other and recited in unison “But fate decreed they would.”

The two then sprung apart with Al continuing the narrative. “It all started at the royal mine, where the miners informed the queen the gold had run out. The widowed queen was shocked. The kingdom was now bankrupt. How was she going to take care of her people?”

As her sister spoke, Ed gasped for effect after donning a pair of glasses, obviously, she was playing the queen in this instance.

“If only she could call on her trusted adviser Preminger, but he was away on a long journey. She needed to do something quickly to save the kingdom, but what?”

Continuing with the play, Ed gazed up as if remembering someone, before looking down, as if saddened before looking up in triumph as her sister continued.

“And then it struck her. Nearby lived a rich young king who was seeking a wife.”

At this, Ed looked at her sister, who appeared confused, before Ed took off the glasses and instead adopted a high-pitch tone, starting to walk all around Al.

“Hoo! We're late, late, late! We have twenty, maximum, twenty-two minutes, for your royal fitting! And then it's move, move, move to your speech at the Historical Society! After that we have to rush, and I mean, rush, to the Horticultural Society Tea! Oh, and then there's your math lessons, your geography lessons, your science lessons...” she started to list as if reading off a schedule and their audience had to give her credit for remembering all that and being able to speak so speedily, while Al stepped away and started singing, going through motions as if coreographed.

[“All my life I've always wanted to have one day just for me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuR9R0glnJ0)  
Nothing to do and for once nowhere I need to be.  
With no lessons, lords, or lunches, or 'to do' list in the way.  
No one to say when to eat or read or leave or stay.  
That would be the day...” as her verse came to a close, she stepped back while her sister twirled forth, her tricorn hat nowhere to be seen.

“All my life I've always wanted to have one day for myself.  
Not waking up with a pile of work on every shelf.  
With no hems in need of pressing, and no sleeves in disarray.  
No wedding gown with a thousand stitches to crochet.  
And no debt to pay.”

At this point, Al gasped “Madame Carp!” before plopping the tricorn hat atop her head, with everyone wondering when she'd gotten her hands on it “What do you think I'm running here? A cabaret?” she said in a snooty, accented voice.

“I would've said a debtor's prison.” Ed answered with sarcasm.

Al got in her face as she recited her next line “Keep laughing! You'll be working for me for another thirty-seven years!” before stepping away.

“But I've already paid off more than half!” Ed exclaimed, as if appalled. 

“But there's an interest, isn't there? Your parents should've thought of that before they borrowed so much.” Al continued her part, walking away.

“They did it to feed me!” Ed called her line at her sister's back.

Al spun around “Their mistake!” before slamming her heel into the ground to create the effect of a slamming door, throwing the hat to the side.

The Captain turned around and started to sing once again “ What would it be like to be...”

Al continuing as they started to alternate between lines “What would it be like to be... Free”

“Free”

“Free to try crazy things.”

“Free from endless IOU's.”

“Free to fly”

“Free to sing”

“And marry whom I choose...”

At this point Edwina once again donned her glasses as she and her sister faced each other once again “I'm so sorry, my darling, but as you know, it is vital you marry King Dominick. It is the only way to take care of our people.”

“I know, it's my duty.”

“Oh, and look! Another engagement gift!”

Al turned away as the alternating verses started once again “You would think that I'm so lucky that I have so many things.  
I'm realizing that every present comes with strings.”

“Though I know I have so little, my determination's strong.  
People will gather around the world to hear my song.”

Here Al interjected “Can I come along?” before starting her role as the princess again “Now I fear I'll never be...”

“Soon I will forever be...”

The sisters thrust their hands to the side as they sang in unison “Free!”

Al started her verse again “I close my eyes and feel myself fly a thousand miles away...”

“I could take flight but would it be right? My conscious tells me stay.”

“I'll remain forever royal.”

“I'll repay my parent's debt.”

The two sang once again in unison before alternating “Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret.”

“But I'll never stop believing.”

“She can never stop my schemes.”

“There's more to living than gloves and gowns and threads and seams. In my dreams, I'll be free!” they finished once again in unison.

After a moment of silence, the two relaxed and Ed dusted her hands “And _that_.” she said pointedly in Thatch's direction “Is how we pull off the wandering Theater act. Though the two of us are the only ones who can pull it off, the others have to be reminded of how they go.”

Thatch looked pale “They?”

Ed scoffed “That was only the first song, the entire musical takes about an hour to preform.” she said matter-of-factly.

Al sagged “The only bad thing about this particular musical is, ugh, _[Preminger's theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5otYUHbaJX8)_.” she said, disdain dripping from the words.

Her sister eyed her as a grin started to form on her lips.

Her sister spotted this immediately and sternly said “Nooo...” as she narrowed her eyes and took a step int eh Captain's direction.

Said captain grinned wider and said “Yeeees...” as she took a step back.

Al shook her head slowly “Don't you dare...”

Ed grinned even wider and started to sing in an obnoxious tone and accent as she backed away from her sister “I've been bowing, I've been scraping, I've been lying like a rug.  
And for 10 long years I've had to pay my dues...”

“Stop...”

“But today I am escaping, for the last gold has been dug.  
It was waiting there, so how could I refuse?”

“I mean it...”

“I'm returning home a hero who's discovered mighty wealth,  
and what better husband could a Princess choose?”

Al was growling at this point while Ed was wearing a shit-eating grin as she skipped another step backwards “I'm the suitor who will suit her, bring the kingdom back to health,  
and I'll wear the crown, for how could I refuse?”

At this point Al lunged for her sister, who started laughing as she ran away, still singing “Raise every glass and rouse every cheer!  
Praise that the reign of Preminger is here!  
Master in charge of all that I see, All hail me~!”

“Stop singing that song!”

Everyone sat back and watched as the younger of the two chased her older sibling who continued to recite that part of the play and singing the song no matter what her sister said. Once everyone looked to the rest of the Ouroboros, they sweatdropped at the sight of them playing cards “Got any twos?” the young swordsman asked.

“Is this normal?” Izo asked, eying them and the still running sibling-duo.

“Yup.” the biggest of the five said as he handed a card over “Got any fives?”

“Go fish.” The blond woman said, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Marco stared before once again turning to Ace and saying “You have interesting friends, yoi.”

The Fire Logia mused for a moment before saying “You know, this isn't even the weirdest I've seen them do.”

Thatch followed the two sisters with his eyes as he called “And how long did you say you've known them for?”

Ace smirked, which made Marco and the few people that were actually looking his way feel some sort of dread “I spent one day with them and I haven't seen them in one and a half years.”

There were many incredulous looks and stumbles at that. Their father only laughed.

Later in the evening, Ed leaned against the rail and turned to speak to the Fire Logia when he too situated himself there “Is this really alright? For us to be here, I mean?”

Ace was silent for a moment before shrugging with one shoulder “I don't think it's sunk in yet. You guys are really distracting. Tomorrow people will be a little less light-hearted once they have time to think about what happened today, I guess.” he surmised before pausing and adding “I- I think Pops is gonna take it really hard.”

The brunette hummed and looked at the merrymaking “He just heard and received evidence that one of his sons never considered him his father, or his children as brothers. It's like losing a loved one, only worse since all the love he felt for him was _wasted_.” she then followed her sister with her gaze “Honestly, I don't think it's sunk yet for us either. Tomorrow, Al will crash and I'll have to take care of her while the others cover everything else.” she then groaned “We'll have to play Informant if anyone calls, dammit.”


	3. After the fact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the situation actually registers in both parties involved, there's a hush in activity. Of course, as soon as things settle, Ed prepares for anything.
> 
> She has to speak to a Yonko, after all.

Of course, they had both been entirely correct and the next couple of days were spent in a sort of misery. Five days later, the Ouroboros were invited back to the Moby. Wary but determined, Ed led her crew on board the giant ship, ready for anything.

She hoped...

The brown-haired Captain had once again donned her hat and was standing straight in front of the gigantic man who was thankfully sitting, so he wasn't towering quite as much, but was still very intimidating. She didn't let the size-difference cow her visibly as she placed her hands on her hips, knowing that crossing her arms wouldn't do her any favors at the moment.

Nodding respectfully, she greeted the old Captain “Whitebeard. You invited us?”

The old man nodded “Yes, I had hoped to clear up any misconceptions. I hope you do not scorn us for the acts of Teach.”

Ed smiled, looking tired. She knew what the man was really saying. They were Ace's friends and thus he didn't want to be responsible for killing them if they decided to initiate battle. Ed wasn't stupid enough to think they could win against a Yonko, let alone a crew as big as this. But most importantly...

“I'm neither suicidal nor stupid, Newgate. Besides, it wouldn't do to upset the kid.”

Ace looked affronted at that “Hey! You're not _that_ much older than me!”

Ed grinned “The fact you knew that I meant you~” she sang, causing her crew to laugh and a few Whitebeards to chuckle.

Their Captain seemed to relax and Ed continued in a sympathetic tone “Every crew as big as this has at least _one_. Problem is, when they exist, they are much worse than ones on a smaller crew.” she then gestured to the six behind her “Why do you think we don't recruit?”

Whitebeard frowned at that “Is that wise?”

Edwina sighed and shrugged one shoulder “Perhaps it's not, but the seven of us... we're all we have and we can't risk a traitor. We have too much to lose.”

There was a solemn silence before the relatively small captain clapped her hands together once “Now come on, whadda ya say that we have some fun? It's been way too gloomy the last few days.”

“Gurararara, I agree, bring out the sake!”

The man's children cheered and Ed threw a glance at her crew, smiling “Let's get the instruments and show these hotshots how Ouroboros party!”

Said crew cheered and went to get the instruments even as their captain turned back to face her fellow leader with a grin “I just realized I never had the chance to introduce myself. My name is Edwina, Captain of the Ouroboros Pirates for over six years now, nice to meet you.”

Whitebeard chuckled “Cheeky brat.”

“Still older than Ace, and that's all that matters.” Ed quipped, a mischievous glint in her eye as said logia groaned “Oh, come on!”

“Still older than you! I shall lord it over you forever!”

“How do you even know that?”

“With the way you grew on us you bet your ass we looked you up! Al's very good at that, you know.”

“So we've heard.” Marco drawled as the Ouroboros returned with their instruments and started providing the music.

Ed stayed mostly on the sidelines. Guarding her crew, even though they were relatively safe. She also just liked watching them and Ace. It was all for him, after all. And partly for Thatch. Ed had to admit, it was definitely worth it.

“You don't seem happy.”

Ed glanced at Newgate before looking away. It was true. She might be content, but she wasn't all that happy at the moment. The earlier conversation had dug up some bad memories.

“We never wanted to be pirates.” she said almost absently, keeping an eye on her crew.

“Oh?” the man was interested now, she could tell.

Sighing she continued “The seven of us... we were brought together by a quirk of fate, but not too long after that we realized just what kind of world we found ourselves in. This world is rotten, freedom is an illusion and if you don't obey, you die... if you're a civilian or Marine, that is.” she chuckled humorlessly “We didn't become pirates because we wanted to... we became pirates because we _needed_ to.”

She turned to face the giant man, a hard look on her face “I am Captain for one reason, and one reason only.” she said, clenching her fists “I can _sail_. That's _it_. I was in no way qualified to lead a group of misfits on a stolen boat at the _age of 17._ My sister was _twelve_. I had other things to worry about and had we been on our home island, I would have felt safer. But fact is, we had all ended up in goddamn Shells Town by some odd quirk of fate, so we had no choice. It was either steal a _stinkin' tub_ or risk Captain _Fucking_ Axehand Morgan somehow taking offense to our mere presence.” she pursed her lips and looked away “We... don't know how to get home. We can't recruit, because we're _paranoid_ and we can't lose a single member... Not when we're _all_ we have left.”

The near giant looked at his fellow captain with a newfound understanding. She was dedicated to her crew and most importantly, her family. Her entire crew seemed to be protective of the girl and their captain, and their captain returned that dedication easily. Newgate liked it.

“Join my crew.”

The brunette spun around, her hair fanning out behind her as she gazed up at him, but didn't speak.  
“Throw away your uncertainty and become my daughter. Your crew too, of course.”

The woman looked at him, then averted her gaze and bit her lip “Would we... have to scrap our flag, if we joined you?”

Whitebeard raised a brow “Not necessarily, but you would have to sail under my flag. Perhaps you don't exactly fit with the divisions, that's fine. Many of my children are still with their own crews, with their own flags. But they all answer to me. I am still their father.”

The smaller captain still refused to meet his gaze as she moved her head towards the direction her crew was in “I need to...”

“Of course, brat. Take your time.”

The brunette nodded before she made her way towards the other end of the ship, where she leaned against the rail, her arms halfway over the water as her eyes stared at the gentle waves.

_Become your children... huh?_

_Doesn't sound too bad..._

_But... I'm not the one who decides._

Straightening so that her palms were flat against the wood, Edwina tilted her head just enough to peer at her sister, sitting on a barrel, feet kicking idly as she grinned.

_She is._


	4. Now, if only we could catch him (never mind, done)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ouroboros are not that easy to make stay still, especially when they have an idea.
> 
> Ace will definitely love his present!
> 
> (This fic is complete-ish, as in, I'll either update it further, or I won't. We'll see)

The next morning the Whitebeards awoke slowly to find the Ouroboros already gone, save for their Captain. The woman was leaning against the rail, her back to the ocean, her hands resting on the wood. She seemed to be waiting for something.

“Have you decided?” their father asked her, causing her to cock her head and grin.

“How about I tell you the next time we meet?”

With that, she fell backwards, over the railing... and onto the deck of her own ship, which had been passing by. She and a few of her crew faced them as they left, waving and calling “See you in a while!”

Whitebeard chuckled “Gurarara... cheeky little brats.”

Ace leant against the rail, his arms crossed on top of the wood as she gazed after them, before he smirked and left his spot “That's not a no...” he mused...  
“... but it's not a yes either.”

How typical of them, really.

When taken into consideration, three months wasn't that much when compared to one-and-a-half years. Still, it seemed like such a long time for both the Ouroboros and Ace, especially when the small crew had promised to come back sometime soon. Ace wondered what was so important that they had to leave before even giving Oyaji an answer. Because if there was something he knew, it was that they didn't do anything without reason.

So when that familiar Jolly Roger graced the horizon, Ace was suitably exited and nothing could stop the smile from overtaking his face.

“Permission to board!?” came Edwina's voice once they were close enough.

“Gurara... come over here, you brats!” Oyaji rumbled with a laugh.

Of course, instead of a gang-plank, the brats boarded using their own methods. The Captain and First Mate clambered onboard using grappling hooks attached to some sort of reel on their wrists.

The brown-haired elder sister grinned at everyone present “Where's Ace? We got you a present!”

The Second Division Commander pushed through the sea of pirates, hand on his hat and a big grin on his face “Hey, 'Wina. It couldn't wait until after you gave an answer?”

The Ouroboros Captain scoffed playfully “Hell no. We had to catch him before he left.”

Ace and many of the others frowned in confusion “Who-?”

“Incoming!”

Swiftly, the two blood-siblings reacted to the call, pulling out a sheet from who-knows-where and pulling it taught between them as everyone listened to drawn out screaming getting louder by the second. A moment later, a mostly black and blue figure hit the sheet, having obviously been launched from the smaller ship.

“ _I hate all of you!_ ” the figure screamed, thrashing around in the sheet he'd been caught in and set onto the deck still inside of.

Alexia laughed while Leo, who was climbing over the rail, said “Now, now, we could have _not_ caught you after hurling you onboard.”

“You _kidnapped me! Without_ even telling me _why!_ ”

The figure finally detangled himself from the mess of fabric, revealing a scarred blond man wearing a top hat with goggles and clothes fitting a noble. A pipe was slung across his back.

Jim was the next to board, and the next to offer his input “Most people would focus on the act itself, not the reason behind it.”

“Yes, well, most people aren't me!”

The younger sister was still snickering as she extended her hand towards Leo, who obliged by handing her a manila folder, causing everyone aware of her status to turn to her. They were all confused, but realized that she had to have a reason for bringing this person here.

Alexia flipped the folder open and began to read the no doubt scarily accurate information it held “Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. Age: nineteen. Name:” she side-eyed him “Sabo.”

Ace inhaled sharply at this, looking wide-eyed at the figure still sitting on the deck of the ship and the small pirate crew, who were all looking at him sympathetically, except 'Lexia, who was still reading through the information our loud.

“Affiliations: Revolutionary Army, Dadan Family (Former), Goa Kingdom (Defected).  
Occupations: Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, Noble (Former), Pirate (Former), Bandit (Former).  
Birthday: March 20th.  
Blood type: XF  
Height: 187 cm, give or take.  
Family: Outlook III (Disowned), Lady Outlook (Disowned), Outlook Stelly (Brother (Disowned)).  
Sworn brothers: Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace.  
Fighting capabilities: Ryusoken, Busoshoku Haki, Kenbunshoku Haki & pipe.  
At the Age of five you ran away from home and lived in Gray Terminal and the surrounding forest, before being forced back when you were ten, a while later, you ran away again. You then sailed through the same waters as a World Noble, who proceeded to blow your boat to smithereens and were then rescued by one Monkey D. Dragon. Due to the trauma, mental _and_ physical, you woke up with amnesia. Ever since you have been in the care of the Revolutionaries and are, quite frankly, a very impressive little nuisance.  
Correct?”

This verbal vomit was ended with an overly pleasant smile pointed straight at the young man frozen on the deck. It was funny and intimidating to look at at the same time.

“I- I- I don't... know?” the apparent Revolutionary squeaked, shaking.

Edwina decided to help him along by tugging him to his feet, before grabbing his hat and, with impressive precision, twisted around and threw it at Ace as if it were a frizbee.

The stunned logia caught the head-wear and looked at it in shock. It was Sabo's hat, alright. It had the same fancy embroidery on the inside, with the stiching being just a bit more worn than what he remembered.

Shaking, the raven could only think of one thing to say “WE AGREED ON _17_ , YOU _JACKASS_!”

The screaming and crying pirate lunged for his little brother, who acted reflexively and dodged even as Ace continued to let out his rage and buried grief.

“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE _SMART ONE_! YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN A TENRYUUBITO WAS COMING! WE THOUGHT YOU DIED! LUFFY CRIED! _I_ CRIED! GOD DAMNIT, _SABO_!”

The Whitebeards watched, intrigued, as the blond's expression turned from confused and wary to shock and horror as he ducked, parried and finally rolled backwards, using his feet to throw Ace over himself when the Fire Logia lunged at him. Instead of getting up, however, the Revolutionary collapsed on his side, gripping his head in pain.

The Ouroboros all shared a high-five with the nearest person, which hilariously enough, meant Leo forcefully slapped Marco's hand since none of his own crewmates were available.

“Misión cumplida.” Ed said with a big grin.

Her sister slapped her forearm with the back of her hand in exasperation “This ain't your Spanish playthrough of Sly 2.”

The captain only cackled as Ace finally stopped trying to maim his brother further and instead helped him sit up, looking uncomfortable as Sabo cried, tugging at his hair. It was all very emotional and it took the 2nd Division Commander a moment to look up at the crew of seven.

“How did you even know?” the raven asked, face pinched as he rubbed the blond's back.

At this, everyone not in the small crew turned to look at them, to which Alexia only rolled her eyes before answering “I'd think that was _obvious_?” she asked, gesturing to all of herself with a raised eyebrow.

There were many slaps to the forehead and even more drawn out noises of comprehension.  
_The Informant_. Right.

Edwina then turned to face Whitebeard with a rogueish grin “So, was that offer still on the table?”

The giant of a man laughed heartily “Gurarara! Brat, you're always welcome here, you and your crew.”

The much, much smaller Captain took off her hat, pressed it against her chest and gave a deep, playful bow “We refuse to be separated, but I'm pretty sure there's room for your flag, O~ya~ji~” she sang with an impish grin.

There were many cheers at this even as the two brothers kept to their little huddle. They'd work through their issues while the rest of them welcomed their new brothers and sisters. They'd join in on the fun soon enough and _then_ they'd demand answers from Ace.

For now, they had a celebration to have.

**Author's Note:**

> Edwina 22-24, brunette, light brown eyes, 165 cm.  
> Freerunning, parkour, gymnast, krav maga.  
> Captain
> 
> Alex 17-19, brunette, hazel eyes, 150 cm, slim.  
> Kickboxing, parkour, gymnast and aikido.  
> First Mate.
> 
> Lisa 21-23 Blond, blue eyes, 175 cm.  
> Amateur gymnast, swimmer.  
> Sniper.
> 
> Jim 25-27 ravenette, blue eyes, 170 cm, muscled.  
> Karate (black belt), freerunning, kendo and judo.  
> Swordsman.
> 
> Jonas 30-32, blond, green eyes, 200 cm, wide & muscled.  
> Streetfighter, rock-climber.  
> Inventor.
> 
> Leo 26-28, ginger, dark brown eyes, 172 cm, slim swimmer's build.  
> Judo, swimmer, runner.  
> Doctor.
> 
> Marcus 24-26, light brown hair, hazel eyes, 171 cm, runner's build.  
> Best swimmer and diver among the crew, parkour, runner.  
> Cook.
> 
> Fanart by Secretuncle on tumblr:  
> Ed: [here ](https://78.media.tumblr.com/9633d21dc72c729c586bc5f72bed5944/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo1_1280.jpg)  
> Al: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/2639a5b9148703056a476112f605b45e/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo2_1280.jpg)  
> Lisa: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/44b002ea765f79c45db8623b1b85ef88/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo3_1280.jpg)  
> Jim: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/0957b88bd79189ec66541f3914d0ce57/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo4_1280.jpg)  
> Jonas: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/7f60e58a25844d47b0ee6b00e222185d/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo5_1280.jpg)  
> Leo: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/b49bf69ab002bf38dc5af706e6f2fc57/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo6_1280.jpg)  
> Marc: [here](https://78.media.tumblr.com/15bcb0edd755b28f920c251fd1abd710/tumblr_p5litmjU441wxewzuo7_1280.jpg)


End file.
